28 Notable alumni of Bemidji State University
Updated: June 14, 2026 EliteDegrees
Bemidji State University is 3317st in the world, 1st in North America, and 861st in the United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 28 notable alumni from Bemidji State University sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff. Many individuals affiliated with Bemidji State University won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Andrew Martens
1981-. (aged 45)
ice hockey player
Andrew Martens is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who most notably played for the Wichita Thunder of the then Central Hockey League.
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2. Rob Sirianni
1983-. (aged 43)
ice hockey player
Robert Sirianni is a retired Canadian-born Italian professional ice hockey player.
3. Chris McKelvie
1985-. (aged 41)
ice hockey player
Chris McKelvie is an American former professional ice hockey player. He last played with the Albany Devils of the American Hockey League (AHL).
4. Brenda J. Child
1959-. (aged 67)
historian
Brenda J. Child is an Ojibwe historian and author.
5. John Persell
1950-. (aged 76)
politician
John Sterling Persell, Jr. is an American DFL politician who represented District 5A in the Minnesota House of Representatives in northern Minnesota, first winning election in 2008.
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6. Stephanie Anderson
1992-. (aged 34)
ice hockey player
Stephanie Anderson is an American ice hockey player who played for the Minnesota Whitecaps in the now defunct Premier Hockey Federation (PHF). She previously competed for the Bemidji State Beavers women's ice hockey program and was a member of the United States women's national ice hockey team that won the gold medal at the 2015 IIHF Women's World Championship.
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7. Bob Dettmer
1951-. (aged 75)
teacher
politician
Robert P. "Bob" Dettmer is a Minnesota politician and former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, he represented District 39A, located in the northeastern part of the Twin Cities metro area, which includes Chisago and Washington counties.
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8. Marion O'Neill
1969-. (aged 57)
politician
Marion O'Neill Rarick is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2013. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, O'Neill represents District 29B in central Minnesota, which includes the cities of Buffalo and Monticello and parts of Wright County.
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9. Carly Melin
1985-. (aged 41)
politician
Carly Melin is a Minnesota politician and former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), she represented District 6A, which included portions of the Iron Range in Itasca and St. Louis counties in northeastern Minnesota. In February 2018, Melin became executive director of the Minnesota State Building and Construction Trades Council, a...
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10. Arnie Johnson
1920-2000 (aged 80)
basketball player
Arnitz L. Johnson was an American professional basketball player. He played for the Rochester Royals of the National Basketball League (NBL) and National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1946 to 1953. Johnson is the only basketball player from Bemidji State to play in the NBA.
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11. Matt Pope
1984-. (aged 42)
ice hockey player
Matt Pope is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who last played with the Cardiff Devils of the UK's Elite Ice Hockey League. Pope joined Cardiff from the Tohoku Free Blades in the Asia League Ice Hockey (AL).
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12. Frank Serratore
1957-. (aged 69)
ice hockey player
Frank Serratore is an American ice hockey coach, currently with the Air Force Falcons men's ice hockey team. He formerly coached professional hockey in the International Hockey League with the Minnesota Moose from 1994 to 1996.
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13. Matt Climie
1983-. (aged 43)
ice hockey player
Matthew Scott Climie is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He is currently an unrestricted free agent who most recently played with the CBR Brave of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL). Climie has played in the National Hockey League with the Dallas Stars and Phoenix Coyotes.
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14. Bob Bird
1951-. (aged 75)
teacher
sports commentator
Bob Bird is an American conservative activist, retired high school teacher, home-school tutor and the former chairman of the Alaskan Independence Party (AIP). He was the AIP's candidate for the United States Senate seat formerly occupied by Ted Stevens in the 2008 senate election.
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15. Joel Otto
1961-. (aged 65)
ice hockey player
Joel Stuart Otto is an American former professional ice hockey center in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Calgary Flames and Philadelphia Flyers. An undrafted player, Otto signed with the Flames as a free agent in 1984 and played 11 seasons with the team. He was one of the top defensive centers in the league during his career and...
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16. Matt Read
1986-. (aged 40)
ice hockey player
Matthew Zachary Jarrett Read is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played eight seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for the Philadelphia Flyers, who signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2011, and the Minnesota Wild.
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17. Matt Dalton
1986-. (aged 40)
ice hockey player
Matt Dalton is a Korean-Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for HL Anyang of the Asia League Ice Hockey (ALIH) and the South Korea men's national ice hockey team.
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18. Brad Hunt
1988-. (aged 38)
ice hockey player
Bradley Michael Hunt is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently playing in Vaasan Sport. He most recently played for the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL). He previously played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Edmonton Oilers, St. Louis Blues, Nashville Predators, Vegas Golden Knights, Minnesota Wild, Vancouver Canucks and Colorado Avalanche. Hunt...
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19. Michele Leonhart
1956-. (aged 70)
police officer
Michele Marie Leonhart is an American career law enforcement officer who served as the tenth Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) from 2010 to 2015, as well as in an acting capacity from 2007 to 2010 after the resignation of Administrator Karen P. Tandy in the fall of 2007. On February 2, 2010, President Barack Obama nominated Leonhart for...
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20. Gunner Olszewski
1996-. (aged 30)
American football player
Kaleb Gunner Olszewski is an American professional football wide receiver and return specialist for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He played college football for the Bemidji State Beavers as a cornerback. He previously played for the New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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21. Zach Whitecloud
1996-. (aged 30)
ice hockey player
Zach Whitecloud is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is a defenceman for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously played for the Vegas Golden Knights. Whitecloud went undrafted while playing for Bemidji State University. As a college free agent, he signed with the Golden Knights in 2018.
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22. Thomas D. Waldhauser
1953-. (aged 73)
military officer
Thomas David "Tom" Waldhauser is a retired United States Marine Corps general who was the Commander of United States Africa Command. He previously served as Director for Joint Force Development, J7 on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Commanding General, I Marine Expeditionary Force, and Commanding General, United States Marine Forces Central Command. Waldhauser is an alumnus of Bemidji State University.
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23. Gary Paulsen
1939-2021 (aged 82)
novelist
short story writer
writer
children's writer
dogsled musher
Gary James Paulsen was an American writer of children's and young adult fiction, best known for coming-of-age stories about the wilderness. He was the author of more than 200 books and wrote more than 200 magazine articles and short stories, and several plays, all primarily for teenagers. He won the Margaret Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 1997...
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24. Torrey Westrom
1973-. (aged 53)
lawyer
politician
Torrey Westrom is an American businessman and politician and member of the Minnesota Senate. A Republican, he represents District 12, which includes all or parts of Big Stone, Douglas, Grant, Pope, Stearns, Stevens, Traverse and Wilkin Counties. He is the first known blind person to be elected to the Minnesota Legislature.
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25. Patricia Walrath
1941-. (aged 85)
politician
Patricia A. Walrath is an American politician who represented the 3rd Middlesex District in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1985 to 2009, was a member of the Stow, Massachusetts, Board of Selectmen from 1980 to 1986, and the Stow Finance Committee from 1977 to 1980.
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26. Christopher Waller
1959-. (aged 67)
economist
Christopher J. Waller is an American economist who has been a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors since 2020. A nominee of President Donald Trump, he was confirmed by the Senate in December 2020 to serve through January 2030.
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27. Zuzana Tomčíková
1988-. (aged 38)
ice hockey player
ball hockey player
ice hockey coach
Zuzana Tomčíková is a Slovak retired ice hockey and ball hockey goaltender, currently working as a sports specialist with the Slovak Olympic and Sports Committee. She was a member of the Slovak women's national ice hockey team from age 12 to 26, and represented Slovakia in the 2010 Winter Olympics and at several IIHF Women's World Championships. As a member...
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28. Andrew Murray
1981-. (aged 45)
ice hockey player
Andrew Murray was a South African writer, teacher and Christian pastor. Murray considered missions to be "the chief end of the church".